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Rena Akana
Personality Rena Mei is what many would call an old soul. Extremely insightful and intuitive, she can neverthless seem overly demanding with regard to others' abilities, a fact noted by many of the music students she teaches. In truth, however, like any good teacher she knows when to push and when to praise, when to pressure and when to encourage, and is always more than willing to offer a kind ear or a shoulder to cry on to those in need. Sheet Attributes 6/4/3 Strength 2, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2 = 3 Total Charisma 3, Manipulation 2, Appearance, 3 = 5 total Perception 3, Intelligence 3, Wits 3 = 6 total Abilities 11/7/4 Talents: Expression 2, Empathy 3, Sensitivity 4, Insight 1, Integrity 2 = 12 total Skill: Performance 4 (Cello, Stringed Instruments), Meditation 1 = 5 total Knowledges: Academics 2 (Music Theory), Cosmology 1. Occult 2 = 5 total Characteristics Willpower: 3 Backgrounds: Equipment (3) Cello, Fame (2) Merits: Heightened Hearing (1) , Heightend Sense of Smell (1) , Concentration (1), Recognize Garou (2) Flaws: Blind (6) Numina: Dona Nobis Pacem (7), Sense from Beyond (7) Freebies Numina (14) Explanations Blind: Rena was diagnosed with congenital blindness before she was one year old. In this life, she has never known sight. Performance (Stringed Instruments, Cello): '''Rena is a professional Cellist, currently performing with the Crystal Springs Symphony Orchestra. She is also a music teacher, specializing in cello but with the ability to teach young students of other stringed instruments such as violin and viola. '''Heightened Hearing and Sense of Smell: Though visually impaired persons often learn how to better use their other senses, Rena seems to have an even more heightened awareness of Hearing and Smell than normal. Sense from Beyond: Rena has extra-sensory experiences of smell, sound, taste, touch, etc. This can come in the form of anything from vague whispers to feeling like she is at another time and place. The messages are often criptic and It is not always easy for her to distinguish these perceptions from reality, though in the case of stronger sensations such as suddenly being in a different place, the effect is generally more easily distinguished. History Early Life They say that many of my grandmothers' gifts were passed down to me, though in this life I never met either of these great women. When my father Nikolao came to the mainland to study a program in Coastal Agriculture, he never thought to stay away from his native Hawaii. He couldn't have expected at that time that he would meet Anne Marie Luthier, a young and passionate music student from British Columbia, and what's more, a Children of Gaia Kin. It was not exactly love at first sight, for my mother, though stunning with her fine French-Metís features, sensual hips, and delicate hands, had an even more truly remarkable voice. Their courtship lasted for several years, before the music teacher and the engineer finally married, making their home on Prince Edward island to be closer to my mother's parents while they were still living. My brother and I were born shortly thereafter, pushed forth into a world filled with love and wonder in the happy home of two very compatible Kin. My brother given the name Renee Iokopa, and I was named Rena, or "Melody" for my maternal grandmother, because even in the womb my love for music was apparent. Mei, my middle name, was given to honor my father's mother. It was not long after my birth that my mother began to fear that something was wrong, though her mind was also occupied with my brother. Renee's Baptism of Fire had revealed to the two kin that they had given birth to a new cub, and he was brought into the Stargazer tribe of my father, while I was named into my mother's tribe. At the age of three months, however, when I still had yet to focus on faces, and toys seemed only to interest me if they came accompanied by bells or rattles, my mother took me and her worries to the doctor, a before the year was out a confirmation was given of congenital blindness. Having been born into a musical family, however, I was quickly put on the path to finding my lifelong love. Bouncing on top of the piano as my mother played, I grew to adore the beautiful sounds and vibrations that came from within. It was not until I put my hands on a stringed instrument, however, that I found my place. By the age of six I could already pick out a few scratchy melodies on the cello, and would spend hours listening to the classical music disks my mother had on hand. Gifts and Changes When we were thirteen, Renee's and my world began to change. I was practicing for a recital just before our 14th birthday when my first "vision" came. I felt the voices gather around me, whispering and scratching through the cello bow as the air seemed to grow thin. Suddenly all sound seemed to melt away, and I could smell the moist rotting of the deep forest, and feel the soft squish of decaying leaves beneath my feet. A nightengale cooed in the near distance. There was a sudden burst of sound, and something rushed towards me, growling and snarling, before knocking me to the ground, sinking sharp teeth into my shoulder. My mother found me screaming and thrashing on the floor of my room amid a mass of sheet music and a broken cello bow. Having had several Garou brothers, my mother had a Gift for calming down almost any situation, and began to give me instruction in the same. It helped a great deal that through music I had already learned how to transcend the current moment, to let my spirit soar to the beautiful sounds vibrating through the instruments around me. When my "visions" came, I gradually began to be able to take advantage of the moment, rather than being filled with abject terror. As the next couple of years passed, Renee became more irritable, prone to taking off on his own. It was soon after our sixteenth birthday that our father told us that the Stargazers would be leaving for the east, and that Renee would be sent away before the end of the month. My brother was devastated. The next day, as he was preparing to take off to the woods alone, I begged him to let me come with him. It would not be long, after all, before we would no longer have the opportunity. Renee relented, but he took off impatiently, clambering through the forest, breaking through branches, but always keeping my hand wrapped tightly in his. As the night grew colder, it became apparent that in his conflicted and turmoiled state he had gotten lost. I could hear the panic and anger rising in his voice, the quickening of his already agitated breath, and suddenly, a strong sensation of Deja-Vu poured over me. The decaying leaves squished beneath our feat. A nightengale call rose into the air. I concentrated on relaxing, feeling the warmth build up inside me. I reached out to envelope Renee in my arms, letting the energy flow into him. I could feel his body shaking violently, and within moments there was the sudden brush of fur against my skin. And then, I was falling, rolling down an embankment, thrown backwards through the air as my brother fled. Blind, I had no hope of finding my way from the forest alone. The night frost settled in, biting at my limbs, and I felt moisture wash over my feet. Two hands pulled me into a stand, and I suddenly felt the warmth of the sun splash on my face, a salty breeze tugging at my hair. The two women at my side were "Our little Rena Mei is growing into a beautiful woman. Remember, we will are always with you. Don't be afraid of what is to come." I didn't have contact with Renee after that. My parents said that the rest of the Tribe was able to track him down, and he was taken East with all the rest. Three months passed, and a letter finally came in the mail. As my mother read it to me, the words sounded distant, aloof, as if my brother were fulfilling a duty rather than any desire for contact. Eventually, the letters petered out and stopped. Soon I had other things to preoccupy my mind. I finished high school and started at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto. The years passed in a whirl of practice sessions, performances, and music students. My mind seemed to have quieted too; the warnings subsided. Until recently. That's when I decided to come to Crystal Springs. There's a message I have to deliver to someone there. I only hope that when I arrive I will understand what, and for whom, this warning is. Category:Children of Gaia Category:Character Concepts Category:Kinfolk